


i will tell you, i love you.

by moonlight_phan



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Based on a Twenty One Pilots Song, Bisexual Steve Harrington, Boyfriends, Boys In Love, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Needs A Hug, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gay Billy Hargrove, M/M, Sad with a Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-10-08 16:22:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17389682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonlight_phan/pseuds/moonlight_phan
Summary: Maybe Billy isn't the monster everyone thinks he is. Steve realizes this one spring night, when Billy comes to knock at his house, looking like he'd been in a boxing ring.





	i will tell you, i love you.

**Author's Note:**

> hey guys! long time no see!
> 
> it's been a while since my last post, but i'm back. this time, i've come with a harringrove fic, something i've been wanting to write about for a while now. 
> 
> i've also been busy with school stuff, projects and whatnot, but i have found the time to write, so you'll be seeing more from me.
> 
> anyways, that's it for now, and if there's anything you'd like to see please tell me!
> 
> thanks for reading <3
> 
> \- charlie.

Billy staggered out of his car, wincing as he took a deep breath, pain engulfing his chest. He limped all the way to the door, pressing a finger to ring the doorbell. He hopes and prays that a certain brunette might be home.   
  
  
The door opened revealing a bleary eyed Steve. “Billy? What-” He stops mid-sentence, noticing the bloody nose, several cuts and purple bruises, now forming over his face. Billy watches as his expression turns from sleepy to one of concern. Any other time Billy would've made some kind of smart ass remark. Except he didn't have it in him- at least not today. He felt drained. Completely and utterly drained of all power, he felt hollow on the inside.  
  
  
Steve however, snapped out of his trance, ushering a too quiet Billy into his house, pausing briefly to close the door, then finally and very carefully managed to get him up the stairs and into his bedroom. Steve sat the injured teenager down on the bed.   
  
The eerie silence that had descended upon them unnerved Steve. Billy was never this silent. He'd seen Billy angry and ecstatic, even moments were he'd seem to momentarily be at peace, but this? Steve had never once seen Billy so silent, so unlike him.   
  
  
Steve brought the first aid kit back to his room and sat next to Billy. He took his face in his hands, staring straight into those sea blue eyes Steve had fallen in love with. Billy turned away, scared that if he looked at him, Steve would realize just how fucked up he was. How Billy was a bloodthirsty driven monster, a monster _Neil_ had created and moulded out of him.   
  
  
Steve didn't push it, and instead doused a small washcloth with antiseptic, turning Billy's face towards him, cleaning as much of the cuts on his face as he could. Billy winced and grimaced as Steve carefully cleaned his face. This was so much more painful when sober, Billy thought. "Sorry." Steve whispered, referring to the sting of the antiseptic. Billy remained silent.   
  
After Steve had managed to mildly clean up his face, he put away the first aid kit, returning to his spot next to the blonde boy. Billy leaned back against the headboard, a headache starting to worm it's way to his head. Steve cautiously put his arms around Billy. The blue eyed boy tensed up, not out of rage, but out of fear. He reminded himself that this was Steve, the boy he loved and would never hurt him.   
  
So he burrowed himself further into Steve's embrace. Billy hated this, but it was as if his mind was on autopilot. He loathed the vulnerability that seemed to radiate from him at the very moment. But he couldn't help it, it had been a long time since somebody had actually cared for Billy, like truly cared.  
  
The last person was his mom.  
  
And so he clutches Steve tighter, as if he let go, he'd vanish, just the way his mom did. Steve kisses the top of Billy's head, trying so desperately to give the boy in his arms the comfort he needs. He rubs Billy's arm up and down, soothing him.  
  
Suddenly, Billy feels something warm sliding down his cheek. Oh. _Tears, he's crying, and in front of Steve._   
  
  
Billy doesn't want to cry but Steve is just being so nice to him. He misses his mom and the floral scent she always carried with her. So he cries, like really cries, full on sobs wracking his body. Billy's shaking and Steve is cradling him close to his chest. He practically clings to Steve, covering his shirt in saliva and snot, but he can't bring himself to give a shit, because he's crying, and oh god, he wants his mom to come back and tell him she loves him.  
  
Steve whispers to him, It's going to be okay Billy, please, I love you. Billy wants to say, _I love you too_ , but he can't, because he's crying like there's no tomorrow, and he's afraid that if he says the **_words_** back, Steve might disappear; just like his mom did.  
  
  
  
That's what breaks Billy. He remembers a vague memory, one he'd so relentlessly tried to stuff at the back of his head.   
  
  
“We'll get out of this sweetie, I promise. Someday, we'll be living in a small house without your father, by the beach and have all the jelly filled donuts we want, and nobody, absolutely nobody will be allowed to tell us what to do.”  At the time he had been only seven years old. Young. Naive. So he nodded and took his mom's hand, held it tightly because his mom was the only shelter he had. They shopped in town that day. He remembered the way her soft and curly blonde hair swayed in the wind. Her dress covered in flowers, the gentle breeze moving it around. And her blue eyes. Her pretty sky blue eyes, that held nothing but kindness and benevolence. This, he decided, was one of his favorite memories of his mom.   
  
  
An overwhelming feeling of breathlessness shook him out of his memory. His lungs ached for air, it was as if someone had been submerging him underwater. He couldn't seem to stop crying, all of the bottled up emotions had finally come out of him, after so many years of trying to not let his guard down, he finally caved in.   
  
Eventually, Billy tired himself out, and now Steve watched as his chest rose up and down with every breath he took. Billy had ended up falling asleep, exhaustion and a gut wrenching sadness finally taking a toll on him. He looked so peaceful, so _angel-like_ , despite the bruises on his face. Only then did Steve notice how fragile Billy was. Underneath the tough guy facade, the Californian had a tough but delicate heart. Even if the blonde wouldn't properly admit it, Steve knew it.

Steve saw it in the way Billy's eyes lit up whenever he'd sneak a flower in. Just for him. Even though Billy claimed he wasn't into all the ‘sentimental bullshit’. Or that time when Steve had written him a card as an anniversary gift. Billy laughed and joked about it the entire day, but Steve saw the way Billy would take the card out during the day, and read it with the softest smile he'd ever seen on him.

 

Billy wasn't a monster. Sure, Billy could get heavily aggressive sometimes, but below the surface, he was just a boy trying to survive the beatings his father gave to him. Steve knew it'd be a long time before Billy could control his emotions and the urge to fight whenever he couldn't express them properly. 

 

But Steve was willing. Steve was willing to sacrifice everything if it meant he could help someone else become a better person. Especially if that person is a certain blue eyed blonde, in tight jeans and mostly unbuttoned shirts.


End file.
